Double Take
by Ebony Witch
Summary: “Boy, I sure hope he doesn’t run into any of the Shredder’s machines,” Don commented. “Especially the Mechaturtles.”
1. Mikey's in Deep Shit

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Chapter 1:

"Raph! Leo! Donnie! Guys!" Mikey called as he wondered one of the numerous alleyways of downtown New York. "Why didn't I listen?" he asked himself.

"Why doesn't he listen?!" Raph asked the others.

"Cool it, hot head. We'll find him," Leo promised.

"I told him not to wander. You told him not to wander. _Don_ told him not to wander! But what does he do?! WANDER!"

"Raph! Calm down! He can't have gone far. He was chasing a cat," Don assured him.

"Yeah? knowing Mikey, he'll chase that cat all the way to Finland," Raph mumbled. "Mikey!"

"Hey, was it just me, or was that cat heading to Finland?" Mikey asked himself.

"It was just you," a voice said.

"Donnie!"

Don stepped out of the shadows.

"Hey! Did you get a haircut or something? You look different…" Mikey observed.

"Boy, I sure hope he doesn't run into any of the Shredder's machines," Don commented. "Especially the Mechaturtles."

"The Mecha-what?" Raph asked.

"Mechaturtles. Mechanical versions of us. I ran into one of Leo the other day," Don replied.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Leo asked.

"I dunno. It slipped my m8ind, I guess," Don answered. "Mikey!"

"Knowing him, he'll think it's one of us with a haircut," Raph mumbled.

"Common, Raph. He's not _that_ stupid. He can tell the difference between his brothers and an imitation made of metal alloy," Don said.

"Mikey? He couldn't tell a tin tomato from a real one if they both hit him on the head!"

"You get separated too?" Mikey asked Don.

No answer.

"Common Don! Are you mad at me or something?!" he asked.

"Mikey! I found him!"

"Don?" Mikey asked, looking up at the figure standing perched on a building. "Then…who's…"

Don jumped down and stood between the Mechaturtle and his little brother. "Mikey! We told you not to wander!"

"What the shell…which one of you is the real Don?" Mikey asked.

"I am," Don answered.

"How do I know that you're not lying!" Mikey asked.

"Because I'm your brother!" Don answered.

"How do I know that!" Mikey answered.

Don stepped aside so Mikey could see the robotic turtle. "Was I ever shiny and silver?" he asked.

"No…" Mikey answered.

"Mikey! Donnie!" Leo called. "Where on earth have they disappeared to?"

"Great. We lost two of 'em," Raph said. He sat down on the rooftop. "Master splinter used to say when you get split up to stay in one place and not move. Maybe he'll come save us."

"Raph, we're seventeen. Master Splinter's not gonna come looking for us!" Leo objected.

"Says who?" Raph asked half-heartedly.

"Common!"

"Hey."

The turtles turned around. A boy around fourteen years with hair like a raven's feather and eyes the color of a young fawn's walked out of nowhere.

"Looking for two more of you guys?" he asked.

"Uh…Yes," Raph answered.

"Follow me," he said.

Leo shrugged and ran after the boy.

The raven-haired boy jumped from rooftop to rooftop with ease, the turtles following close behind him. He stopped on a roof with a large, glass triangle in the center of it and pointed down into the alley.

"Enjoy," he said.

Raph and Leo looked down cautiously. Sure enough…

"Mikey duck!" Don ordered.

Michelangelo evaded the Mecha-Don's bullet and pinned it down to the floor. Their brothers jumped down form their place on the rooftop of the museum.

Leonardo raised his sword above his head and brought it down hard against the robot's neck. The head flew across the alley and slid in the dirt. Just to make sure, Leo plunged his sword through the robot's chest.

"That takes care of that one," he said.

"One down, at least three more to go," Don replied.

"I hate robots," Raph announced. "Did we ever thank that kid?"

"No," Leo answered.

"Thanks kid!" Raph called up.

The boy, watching from the edge of the building, saluted him and disappeared as suddenly and quietly as he had come.

"Nice kid," Leo said. "What'd he say his name was?"  
"He didn't," Raph answered. "Let's go home."


	2. Raven Hair

**Note: The comment Raph makes about never seeing the kid's ears is V. important...later on in the story.**  
  
**Chapter 2:**  
  
Raph lay in his bed that night, staring at the ceiling. For some strange reason, he couldn't stop thinking of that kid. He turned over onto his side and groaned.  
  
"I don't even like kids!" he protested.  
  
A barley audible thud came from the turtle's living room.  
  
"Again!" Raph said, throwing off his blankets. "He's gotta stop falling asleep on his feet!"  
  
Raph threw open the door. "Mikey!"  
  
"What?!" Mikey asked, throwing his door open.  
  
"Don?" Raph asked.  
  
"Nope," Don answered.  
  
"L-Leo?"  
  
"What's going on?" Leo asked groggily.  
  
"Master Splinter?"  
  
"He's asleep," Leo answered.  
  
"Then..." Raph crept cautiously over to the couch, both sias in hand. He quickly looked over and raised the three-pointed sword in a battle-ready position. "Kid?!"  
  
On the floor next to the couch lay the raven-haired boy. He was coated in blood and dirt. Raph jumped over the couch and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. He shook him lightly. "Kid. Kid, wake up."  
  
Slowly the boy regained consciousness. He looked up at the worried masked face of Raphael. "Turtle!" he mumbled absentmindedly.  
  
"How'd you find this place?" Raph asked.  
  
"Followed...big rat," he said sleepily.  
  
"Big ra...Master Splinter went topside?" he asked.  
  
The boy nodded weakly.  
  
"Who is it?" Leo asked.  
  
"If it's K.C.—!" Mikey started.  
  
"Shut up!" Raph snapped. "It's the kid."  
  
Leo bounded over the couch and squatted down next to Raph. "What happened to him?" he asked.  
  
"No idea," Raph answered. "He followed Master Splinter down here."  
  
"Kid," Leo said softly, "what happened?"  
  
"Invisible men," he answered.  
  
"Foot," Don observed. By now, the two of them had sat down next to their brothers.  
  
"What's yer name?" Mikey asked.  
  
"Ry...Ryu..." His voice faded and he was unconscious once more.  
  
"Get him on the couch," Raph ordered. "Mikey, get Master splinter. Don, we need bandages and cold water."  
  
"Yessir!" Don and Mikey set of in opposite directions.  
  
Leo and Raph hoisted Ryu onto the couch.  
  
"What in..." Raph brushed away a lock of black hair. A barcode was tattooed onto his neck, under it the number 18-20-15.  
  
"Cold water, bandages, towel," Don repeated as he lay the items down next to the couch.  
  
"Master Splinter," Mikey finished the checklist.  
  
"What is so important that you wake me up at twelve thirty?" Master Splinter asked, slightly ticked off.  
  
"Take a look," Leo ordered.  
  
"Take a look at what? If it's a pet, you can't keep him," Splinter said in advance.  
  
He peered over the top of the couch and saw Raph wiping blood of a thirteen- year-old boy.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
"The Foot," Leo replied.  
  
"Apparently he followed a big rat down here," Raph said.  
  
"Busted!" Mikey said.  
  
"Michelangelo! There are more important things to do than tease your Master at this moment!" Splinter said strictly, striking the butt of his walking stick on the floor. ...........................................  
  
Hours had passed since Ryu's arrival. Everyone had gone back to their rooms, Master Splinter included, and fallen asleep. Except Raph, who slept on the floor next to the couch.  
  
For half an hour after everyone had left, he had stared at the teen-aged human. Why hadn't he gone home instead of coming here? Where were his parents? Weren't they worried about him? What was up with the barcode on his neck? Why didn't his hair ever show his ears? Even when he lay on his side, the locks never left...why? Which did he like better, pepperoni or cheese pizza?  
  
By the time he had fallen asleep, he had a mental book of questions to ask the kid when he woke up.  
  
Ryu slowly regained consciousness. He had a throbbing and everything hurt. He had been beaten before, of course, it was part of being a ninja, but never like this.  
  
He slowly lifted himself up on his arms and moved is legs off the couch. They were numb. He swung them back and forth a little to get the feeling back and felt one foot hit something hard.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
Ryu pulled his legs back up on the couch.  
  
"That was my head kid!" Raph said.  
  
"Sorry," Ryu apologized.  
  
"Don' bother. I've been kicked in worse places," the turtle replied. "What're you doing?" he asked.  
  
"You wouldn't mind if I grabbed a snack er somethin', would ya?" Ryu asked.  
  
"Nah. Stay there, I'll get it," Raph said, walking to the kitchen.  
  
"Thanks." Ryu lay back down. Of course he knew the turtle, but he didn't _know_ the turtle. Why was he being so nice? Sleeping on the floor when he had a bed, this guy was insane.  
  
"Hey kid!" Raph called.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What do you like better, cheese or pepperoni?" he asked.  
  
"Uh...cheese," Ryu answered.  
  
"That's one question out of my head," Raph mumbled, putting a slice of cheese pizza on a plate. "Only a few more to go."  
  
Raph walked out of the kitchen and switched on a light. He sat back down on the floor and handed Ryu the plate.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No prob," Raph mumbled.  
  
"I'm sorry to come barging in like this," Ryu apologized (he seemed to be doing quite a bit of it). "You don't even know me that well. If you wanna throw me out, please don't hesitate."  
  
"That's a bit harsh. But I do have a few questions I need answers to."  
  
"Shoot," Ryu said, taking a bite out of the pizza. 


	3. A lesson in ninjitsu

—Okay, someone asked if Ryu was a personal character of mine or a crossover character, and I will answer the question!!!! Ryu is my personal...dude. Thank you for flying Air Philippines! P.S. please bear with me as I attempt to write Spinter—  
  
**Chapter 3:**  
  
"First question, why did you come here instead of going home?" Raph asked.  
  
Ryu looked the turtle in the eye.  
  
Raph saw his fawn eyes turn from calm to panicked and thought twice about asking that question. It really wasn't any of his business.  
  
Ryu swallowed his pizza and replied quietly, "I dare not go home."  
  
"Why?" Mikey asked.  
  
Raph jumped out of his skin. "What the shell's your problem?!" he asked.  
  
"Curiosity!" Mikey answered.  
  
"Yeah?! You ever heard the saying, curiosity killed the cat?!" Raph asked.  
  
"Sure! They say it all the time in cartoons!" Mikey replied.  
  
"What's going on?" Leo asked, coming out of his room.  
  
"Raph's asking to many questions!" Mikey ratted.  
  
"It's good to ask questions," Donatello answered.  
  
Raph glared at Mikey. "Shut up," he growled. "Why won't you go home?"  
  
Ryu looked down at his feet. "I...they...experiments..." he stuttered.  
  
"You're not making any scene kid!" Raph told him.  
  
"The Shredder," he answered plainly.  
  
"The Shredder took your parents?" Leo asked.  
  
"In a way," Ryu answered.  
  
"Why would he do that?" Don asked, sitting on the couch next to the strange child.  
  
"My father worked for him, and failed," he replied.  
  
The room was quiet for a few minutes.  
  
Raph opened his moth to speak, but closed it quickly, thinking that it was best not to ask about the barcode and that the hair thing was just plain stupid.  
  
"Everyone's up?" Splinter asked, walking into the room. "We might as well start early."  
  
"Sensei," Ryu started.  
  
"Yes," Splinter asked.  
  
"Gomenasai."  
  
Splinter smiled. He was an intelligent child, he could tell. "Do not worry, Ryu. Once you are healed we will have you back up on the surface and take you home."  
  
"Then I hope I am never healed," Ryu said quietly.

.........................  
  
Ryu sat quietly on a rug and watched the others as they practiced. Raph was fiercely attacking the punching bag. Blow after blow, back and forth back and forth. Mikey practiced with throwing stars, apparently something new for him because he kept missing the large picture of the Shredder that was pinned up against the back wall of their underground dojo.  
  
Donnie practiced blocking. A wooden pool was put up in another corner of the dojo with two smaller ones jetting out of the sides, acting as arms. The pole rotated back and forth as Don kicked and blocked the wooden arms from hitting him.  
  
Leo was left on the opposite side of the room, battling with a sand-filled, life-sized dummy made of cloth. When he his certain places on the dummy, the eyes would light up.  
  
He walked over to Leonardo and sat in a corner, watching him throw random kicks and punches at the dummy.  
  
Leo paused and returned his gaze. "You wanna try?" he asked.

Ryu got up and walked over to Leo. "What is it?" he asked.

Leo picked up his sword and pointed to the neck of the dummy. "Kick here," He instructed.

Ryu nodded and kicked. The dummy's eyes light up.

"Good, now hit here." He pointed to a place on the dummy's chest. Ryu kicked. The dummy's eyes flashed red once more.

"Now here," he instructed, pointing half an inch away from where Ryu had previously kicked.

Ryu hit the spot where the katakana's tip rested. The eyes remained as they had been.

"You see?" Leo said, "You're half an inch between victory and defeat.

"There are certain places on the body where, if you are hit, all you think about is the pain. Here (Leo pointed to the neck), here (the spot on the chest), here (the under arms), and here, mostly for a man (wink wink, hint hint)."

Mikey walked up to Leo and Ryu. "Switch!" he said.

He watched as Ryu kicked the dummy and the eyes flashed time after time.

"This isn't your first time, is it?" he asked.

Ryu shook his head. "My father trained me," he said.

"Hey kid!" Raph said, running towards them. "Think fast!"

He bounded on top of Ryu and they tumbled on the floor, rolling around in a quick wrestling mach.

"Raphael!" Splinter said as he entered the training room. "Ryu is injured!"

"Yes sensei," Raph answered. "Sorry kid."

Ryu hoisted himself up on his arms. "That was fun! Let's do that again!"

The turtles laughed as he brushed himself off.

"He's turning into you already," Splinter mumbled, exiting the way he came.


End file.
